I disagree completely with the content of this Editorail. It labels anybody from the North who diagrees with the secession agenda as Somaliland haters. Are the Samatar brothers not entitled to their opinion?. The destiny of their nation is being decided here and you expect them to be quite? That does not make anysenses. If any one is extreme here I think it is the writer of this article. With regards to Peter Tatchel I think any one who read the old piece discussed here and posted by Mansa Musa about a month ago knows full well that Mr. Tachell has only one agenda. And that is promoting homosexuality. So instead of blaming those who brought his agenda to the attention of the public, let us blame those who had invited him to our affairs. It is disgusting to say the least. Peace Waaheen

Mr. Red. So as far you are concerned what he said is fine with you. This is sick man and you just told us a lot about character. Secondly, why on earth are you commenting on an article you admitted that you have not read? Waaheen

What is up with this guy Red sea? What is this nonsense he talking about and what part of hate speech does he not understand? I am not sure whether he read or understood the gist or the message of the article, but he seems not to understand the threat of hate propaganda and incitement on a society. The strange thing is this guy is actually calling the target group of Waraabe’s hatred and call for genocide as cowards or fulayaal. He is essentially blaming the target group of this call of extermination and tries to explain away Waraabe’s disgustfull message. FYI incitement of genocide is a crime that is punishable in a court of law. At minimum hate speech erodes harmonious relationship among the various groups of any society. The other thing I did not get is what is funny about Faysal’s odious statement? Any one with any sense of humanity would condemn the cries of this mad man. I think Mr. Red needs to visit a psychiatrist himself. Go and seek help man. Waaheen

An excellent article which raises many pertinent issues that sadly is not confined to Mr. Faysal Ali Waraabe. Somali people need to stop tolerating hate speech. Waaheen

Shame on who ever invited these kind of people to the affairs of our people. This is sick and for those who are in denial, I will only say do not blame the messenger but guilt lies with those who brought this shame to our shores. Waaheen

The recent posting of an old wardheernews editorial on Rayaale prompted me to go back and check what Wardheernes also said about Abdullahi Yusuf & Gedi goverment a couple years ago.I found this one and their description still fits the TFG even after the Ethiopians tried to resurrect it. Here is the editorial: Cabdullaahi Yuusuf's Government is not a Government of Scope. WardheerNews Editorial December 3, 2004 We understand that Mr. Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed, president of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and his prime Minister, Cali Maxamed Geeddi, have put together a list of names for its cabinet. The list so far consists of 31 ministers. As the practice has been in Somalia, we will soon learn the names of vice ministers and Director Generals plus Hogaamo, position only unique to Somalia. In a net shell, the Yusuf –Geeddi government would be bloated so big that it soon may comprise as many as hundred. Call this a government of no scope whose only intention is nothing beyond the distribution of the expected spoils from Western donor countries along clan lines via warlords and hustlers (Qabqablayaal). President Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed and Prime Minister Geeddi had the opportunity to design a small and efficient government with a focused scope for reconciliation and rehabilitation. Western donor countries that are on the sidelines to help resuscitate the defunct Somalia state also equally erred in letting, if not tacitly encouraging, the president and his prime minister to present such a behemoth organism. All involved should have used this opportunity to establish a small government in the tradition of Schumacher's concept of “small is beautiful.” Somalia, a country without any government or capital in the coffers, can hardly afford an administration bigger than that of U.S.A and Britain combined. Adding insult to injury, most of the members of the new cabinet are corrupt and uneducated, whose credentials is nothing more than these: they are either warlords or clan hustlers (qabqablayaal). In fact, the way cabinet post are matched with some new ministers and the past misdeeds that they have committed invoke a disappointing Shakespearean irony. For example, Barre Hiiraale, who caused the dislocation of thousands of innocent people in the Jubaland, is now designated as the Minister for rehabilitation and resettlement (as, if he knows the whereabout of the displaced refugees.) or Cumar Maxamed Finish, a former lieutenant of Yalaxow as the Minister designee for Religious and Moral Affairs, despite the fact that he was one of the main obstacles for the last 13 years to do anything helpful in Mogadishu. Public Works and Urban Affairs goes to Cusmaan Caato who looted Somalia's nascent industry, construction equipments and confiscated hundreds of properties from those who fled from Mogadishu in the height of the 1990 civil war. Trade and commerce went to the infamous Suudi Yalaxow, a former cab driver and a notorious warlord in his own backyard. This is the same Mafioso man who shelled the markets of Mogadishu in mid 1990's for the sole motive of forcing small traders in Kaaraan and elsewhere to pay him protection money. Agriculture goes to Shaatiguduud who waged clan war of resistance in the agriculturally rich Baydhabo plains once dubbed as the “death triangle.” In Buba, a man of superior literary scholarship and amazingly inferior moral standards, is made to settle for a new ineffective and irrelevant ministry (Ministry of Interregional Affairs). One wonders what happened to the men of integrity and Somali intellectuals who could have brought with vigor, honesty and experience to jump-start a fresh beginning in Somalia. This is a clossal mishap and a missed opportunity to say the least. Cabdulahi Yusuf Axmed's government is so poor and extremely of inferior quality that Abdulqasim's administration already triggers nostalgic feelings! Send comments to: editorial@wardheernews.com

Xaruuri brought up a very important issue to this discussion. Mr. Odweyne is probably a bi national, since as he claims he was born in Odweyne and can probably claim also the citizenship of Region 5 as his father is hails from Gashaamo. But I think it is legitimate to ask who is a citizen of the North of Somalia. It seems there is huge misunderstanding of who can make a claim on the citizenship of Somaliland. Strangely enough Rayaale himself was born at Gogti in zone 5. I most of the time laugh whenI read some Somaliland websites stating that Rayaale was born at Qolujeed. But we had a similar story with Siyad Barre in the past and I think here Rayaale is probably following the footsteps of his former mentor Siayd Barre. In any case it seems from the outset that the citizenship of Somaliland is probably mostly defined by the membership of the clan rather than where somebody is born. But that is absolutely wrong in my opinion. Don’t you sometimes scratch your head when some websites write: Beelo reer Somaliland ah oo ku dagaalamay Daroor. And then you ask yourself since when has Daror become a Somaliland territory? I think it is about time that these folks from Kilil 5 face the reality and become loyal to their own State and stay away from the messy affairs of Somalia. Waaheen

This is an excellent analysis of the dilema that the pro secession groups face. It seems that our fellow compatriots who are for secession will pay any price to attain their goal of seceding from the rest of Somalia. There are many ways that our grievances can be addressed without breaking up the country. Civil war and massacres of civilians by corrupt governments happened in a lot of places in the African continent or elsewhere. A good example from our neighborhood could be Rwanda, Burundi and even countries such as Senegal or Liberia in the western part of Africa. But none opted to breakup the country once those who were responsible for the atrocities were defeated or chased out of office. The most important thing is to learn from your past experience and put a system in place so that it will never happen again. I believe that is what South Africa and Rwanda did and we need to learn from them. I also believe that a serious debate should start on the destiny of Somaliland among those who are for secession and those who are against it. Each side should bring to the table why they think their plan is better for the northern people as whole and solve this issue once for all. Thanks Brother for posting this piece. Waaheen

So Mujahid Red thinks that our beloved city Hargeysa is free from Amaxaaro! Well I think he lives in lala land. Amxaaro now controls the entire Somali peninsula except NFD and to some extent Djibouti. I know he is aware of the fact that they (Axmaaro) can arrest or ask anybody to be arrested for them by their stooges who currently run the administration of Somaliland. The secret service of the Ethiopian regime openly operates in Hargeysa and elsewhere. In Somaliland the only thing they currently do not have is tanks and their forces. But who needs those when all they need to do is ask and it will be done. It is cheaper and more effective for them. That is the situation of our country today. So let me tell my fellow compatriot to stop preaching to this crowd about who brought amxaara's to their household. Waar waan wada qabnaa daawasho iyo ceeb haddaan Somaali nahay. As long as we think and operate in this manner Somali iyo dhegxumo Allaa is baday. Waaheen

I also went back and read most of their 30+ editorials and came out with a diffrent conclusion than that of Baashi. To me Wardheernews can described as pro Somali (period). I can say they are a rare species among the Somali websites or the somali's in general for that matter. Eid Mubaarak and happy new year. In any case the editorial article is an exceelnet piece and I think the question was irrelevant to start with. Waaheen

Excellent Editorial. Mr. Munsa I mus say you have Good taste. Thanks bro for the very thoughtful article. Waaheen

May Allah bless the soul of all those who lost their precious lives during the reign of the late Dictator. Members of that regime have the main responsibilty of what happened during their watch. No particular clan or region can be balmed on the atrocities of the late regime. Waaheen

For those of you who are dreaming that Silanyo would be the saviour of Somaliland check out what one resident of Hargeysa and knowlegdeable fellow said about Silanayo and his sidekick Mr. Warabe. This is not to say that Rayaale is a total failure. What else did you expect from this mediocre character? In any case here here how Mr. A. Duale Sii'arag described the opposition leaders of Somaliland: ".....Two other men with diverse reputations perch at the apex of the ideologically deficient and enfeebled opposition parties: Silanyo and Faysal Ali Warabe. Both men are known to distort facts to suit sleazy and unsavory political agenda. Inherently, both possess creative baseness and regale the luxury of exploiting moribund Somali nationalism, transmuting myths into facts for political and clannish motives. Their political praxis is marred with narrow clannish chauvinism, self-serving intransigence and bigotry, and unrivalled ingenuity in exploiting the war-weary sentiments of their anxiety-ridden fellow compatriots." The pristine political landscape of Hargeisa is currently riddled with emergent, semi-coherent political parties that lumps together political opportunists, clannist intellectuals with entrenched clanocentric philosophical credentials, and remnants of the dictatorial regime of Siad Barre. The bizarre hybrid seems to synthesize nostalgic yearning for the past with illusive utopia. The real ideologues of these parties are time-serving bureaucrats of the old guard reeling with nostalgic reminiscence for an ignominious period in our recent past history. Silanyo, the longest serving minister of economy of Barre’s regime, jumped out of the bandwagon only after learning that he had fallen grace with the strongman. Silanyo’s political record is marred with mediocre performance, endless tactical maneuvers, lack of steady stance and incapacity to lead people and inspire confidence on others. No wonder that he lost presidential election to a relatively obscure Rayaale with dark, ignominious past. Ill-read and ill-educated, Faysal is an ignoble demagogue who made himself the laughing stock of Somalis of all walks of life. Unpopular in his home turf, he is known to have a loose tongue for venomous rhetoric and thoughtless diatribe. There are ample empirical evidences to suggest that Faysal had collaborated with Siad Barre’s military regime during the height of the Hargeisa uprising in the early eighties. He was known as the right-hand-man of the late Gen. Mohamed Hashi Gani, the ruthless military strongman, who ruled Hargeisa with iron-fist during much of early 1980s. Former senior officials of Siad Barre’s notorious NSS and members of the executive committee of the former Somali National Movement(SNM) are of the view that Faysal served the regime as a valuable informer, spying on the activities of the UFO youth activists - the forerunners of the SNM. Faysal was regarded by the SNM as a traitor of the worst kind and an accomplice of gross human rights abuses." ... There you have it. The unadulterated fact of life in my part of the world. Waaheen

Mr. Me: I think you crossed the line here when you justify the atrocities committed by the former regime against its own people in Burco, Hargeysa or elsewhere. These were one of the worst massacres committed by Somali's against their own in the recorded history. Shame on you bro for justifying the killing of innocent human beings and your fellow compatriots. The support of Mr. Red Sea for Ina Cali Waraabe is also shamefull. Ina Cali Waraabe is a lunatic who preaches hate and should not tolerated. Waaheen

Mr. Me: I think you crossed the line here when you justify the atrocities committed by the former regime against its own people in Burco, Hargeysa or elsewhere. These were one of the worst massacres committed by Somali's against their own in the recorded history. Shame on you bro for justifying the killing of innocent human beings and your fellow compatriots. The of Mr. Red Sea for Ina Cali Waraabe I also shamefull. Ina Cali Waraabe is lunatic who preaches hate and should not tolerated. Waaheen

Who is listening to this Majnoon? If any body was the righthand man for Siyaad Barre,it is him. Was he not the cheap little rascal who was spying on the UFO members in the 80's? It is a sign of the times that we are in today! Waa wax lala yaabo in weli dad dhagaysanayaan ninkan jaanjaank ah. Waaheen

Mr Muhsin did a great job in refuting the press release of SOPRI which misrepresented the facts in Somaliland. Only an insane group would claim that there is Zero support for united Somalia among the northerners. The fact remains that there is support in the North for both for united Somalia and the secession of Somaliland. Anyone who is saying otherwise is deluding himself or does not want to face the truth. I would like also to add my warm heartfelt congrats to the organizers and participants of the unity conference that was held in DC. We need to have alternative views regarding the question of Somaliland for our own sake. The bottom line is which one is the better option for the citizens of northern Somalia: United Somalia or a separate state of Somaliland? When you remove the clan loyalty factor (which should not be factor in my view) the choice is clear. Waaheen

Excellent program and top notch panelists. I believe this will be a great conference. By the way any body going to the coneferece from those of you who are in the states and Canada. Waheen

It is about time that we here the ideas and agendas of the uionist side. Better late than never. Waaheen

Great article. It is a superb piece I enjoyed reading it. Waaheen

"i hate unity with somalis i just dont i just see war happening over and over and over again" What does he think he is? The funny thing these days are we have plenty among ourselves who hate the fact that they are Somalis. Blame Allah brother if you want to complain about it. Or better Pray to Allah, may be the Almighty will be sorry for you and reincarnate you as a Habashi or what ever you like to be. Waaheen

Interesting. The first time the pro unity constituents from the North are coming toghether. I am very much looking to the outcome of the conference. As shown in the program it certainly has attracted panelists of very diverse background. That is a positive beginning. Waaheen

Thank you Caamir for this oustanding posting. It is an interesting article indeed, but I am afraid that the Somali’s in Ethiopia have lost this golden opportunity to use it to their benefit. They are as much divided as we are on this side of the border. The only ways out for them is to work for the unity of the Somali’s in the region and resurrect the nowadays moribund Somali nationalism. Waaheen

Thank you Caamir for this oustanding posting. It is an interesting article indeed, but I am afraid that the Somali’s in Ethiopia have lost this golden opportunity to use it to their benefit. They are as much divided as we are on this side of the border. The only ways out for them is to work for the unity of the Somali’s in the region and resurrect the nowadays moribund Somali nationalism.

Stop the rhetoric guys. You can have a civil debate if you want on human rights in all the Somali territories or Somaliland for that matter. But the way you are going about it is even a disgrace to the issue itself. Waaheen